Genocide site in Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom.

D119560

Genocide site in Kampong Cham and Kampong Thom.

English

Cambodia

DC-Cam/03 April 2025

DC-Cam

DC-Cam/Documentation Center of Cambodia

Cambodia

Computer-Typing (Tx). 4 pages.

BURIAL SITE
1. Trea II (Trea Sub-district Krauchamar District Kampong Cham province)
2. Koh Phal (Peus 1 sub-district Krauchmar District Kampong Cham province)
3. Prey Dang Veng Prey Tbeng
MEMORIAL SITE
4. Wat Skun (So Tep Sub-district Cheung Prey district K. Cham province)
5. Wat No Kor (Ampil sub-district Kampong Siem district Kampong Cham procince)
5. Wat No Kor (Ampil sub-district Kampong Siem district Kampong Cham province)
6. Wat Baray Chan Dek (Baray sub-district Baray District Kampong Thom Province)
7. Tuol Ta Plorng (Trach village, Kampong Chen sub-district Stung district K. Thom province)

Genocide site

BURIAL SITE
1. Trea II (Trea Sub-district Krauchamar District Kampong Cham province)
Tria II Village is one of a series of five Cham village in Krauchmar District, which were emptied and devastated during the Pol Pot time, with all of the Cham inhabitants being removed or killed. At Tria II we were shown the bones from two of five mass graves sticking out from the river bank. The other three mass graves which are located under a grove of lemon tree nearby have not been excavated. We were shown the houses in the village which were used as prisons, and as offices for the Khmer Rouge. One witness told us that the KR brought people by boat from up the river to kill there.
2. Koh Phal (Peus 1 sub-district Krauchmar District Kampong Cham province).
Koh Phal village can only be described as a killing factory for the Region during the Pol Pot time. We were shown 49 large mass grave (2m x 4m) near the village, only two of which have been excavated built buildings, one of which remains, and that the others were used as KR barracks and storehouses. The prisoners were brought by boat from across the Mekong (Kratie?) and from"up the river", held overnight, and taken to the pits to be killed the next day. A fishmen from the area said boats full of victims arriving every day. This witness worked as a fisherman there for only three months during the Dry Season of 1977. The number of killing at Koh Phal is estimated to be 5-10,000 victims, many of whom were Cham people.
3. Prey Dang Veng and Prey Tbeng
Wat Sra Nge Prison is located in phum Sra Nge, Khum Tbeng, srok Kampong Svay, Khet Kampong Thom. The religious Buddhist building in Wat Sra Nge was converted into the prison and the place for torturing. The prison was built in 1975. In the front of the prison are two big trees under which victims were tied and interrogated and then taken to be killed at sites.
MEMORIAL SITE
4. Wat Skun (So Tep Sub-district Cheung Prey district K. Cham province)
An elaborate new stupa has been built at this Wat as a memorial to those killed at the nearby killing fields, paid for by the relatives. The bone, only femurs. are stacked in a neat block approx. 2m x 2m x 2m, representing many thousands of victims.
5. Wat No Kor (Ampil sub-district Kampong Seim Kampong Cham province)
This Wat is situated on High way 7 from Kampong Cham to Phnom Penh near Kampong Cham, and is built within the grounds of an ancient Angkor temple. At this Wat are two memorials used to store some of the bones that have been brought from the massive killing fields at Wat Phnom Proh, a few more kilometers out along the same highway. One of the memorials is used simply as a storage for bones, and the other is a stupa used for ceremonial purposes. Both Memorials together contain the bones of more than 1,000 victims.
6. Wat Baray han Dek (Baray sub-district Baray District Kampong Thom Province)
Wat Baray Chan Dek criminal center is composed of prisons, a killing site and a memorial. It is located in phum Troh, khum Baray, srok Baray, Khet Kampong Thom. Traveling along National Road# 6, the criminal center is 15 km from munti srok Baray.
7. Tuol Ta Plorng (Trach village, Kampong Chen sub-district Stung district K.Thom province)
At 11:30 a.m., we inspected Tuol Ta Phlorng execution site with, Mr. Luon Khom. We inspected pits and took photographs of the stupa (memorial) in which victim's bones were stored. The execution sites are on 3 high hills with a lot of palm trees, Bayan trees and tamaring trees. Ta Hul Leang takes care of victims' bones. We did not meet him. After we took photographs of bones, pits and the execution site, we did not yet estimate the number of victims, but we seek of witness who lived near the site and who used to be in the prison in Realsmei Saophoan High School. We saw a great many bones wee stored in the memorial. At 12 noon, We found Mr. Chum Vin, 62, used be in Reaksmei Sophorn High School prison. He lives in Trach village, Kampng Chen Cheung (north) sub-district. He was in the prison in 1977 and was released in 3 months and 10 day later. He was in prison because of stealing and picking rice. Mr. Vin saw a lot of people in the prison with him. The interrogation place was north of the school building. He was tortured until on of his legs crippled. The Khmer Rouge took the prisoners to kill every night at Tuol Ta Phlorng 500 metters away from the school building. He was tortured until one of his legs crippled. The Khmer Rouge took the prisoners to kill every night at Tuol Ta Phlorng 00 meters away from the school. He added that after 1979 in 1980 or 1981, villagers dug up graves to explore gold and they found uncountable corpses. They did find gold. All people who were killed in 1976 (new people) from various cities. The victims were mixed: Khmer, Chinese, and officials. Mr. Moeng Hout Hoeun gave the same information as Mr. Chum Vin. He also went to dig for gold. So, the information from the witnesses, Huot Hoeun, Luon Khom and Deputy Chief of the district seems important and similar.
The estimation of pits and victims at the execution site of Tuol Ta Phlorng
-There are two 5 meter x 20 meter pits. The pits were deep. There are 200 or 500 small pits.
-There are 100 or 200 corps per main pit and 1 or 3 or 4 corpses per small pit according to big or small families, So there are 50,000 or 100,000 or 150,000 corpses. Bones were not all stored in the memorial, because there were to many. Cows ate a lot of bones because villager dug the graves up to explore gold and the bones were in mess all over the killing hill.
List of surviving prisoners
Mr. Chum Vin, Mr. Moeng Hout Hoeun and Mr. Luon Khome told us that: There are 3 surviving prisoners:
1. Koan Prik lives in Trel Village, Kampong Chen Cheung (north) sub-district.
2. Koan Sieng, died after 1979.
3. Prin Meas lives in Chy Meas village, Msa Krang sub-district. These people can be foung, it needed because they are all still alive.

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